This documentary is basically a love letter to a super specific and mostly forgotten slice of queer history—the world of all-male magazines between 1955 and 1973. It’s a really interesting guide that shows how these images changed over the years, eventually moving from still photos into the world of film. Before 1966, these gay magazines were all about musclemen in jockstraps posing like Greek Gods. But then, everything flipped. In this "golden window" from 1966 to 1973, the pages started featuring young guys between 18 and 22 who had boyish faces and totally normal bodies. They weren't gym rats; they were just ordinary kids, often drifters or runaways, who modeled for unknown photographers for just a few bucks. They’d show up in a magazine for a minute and then just disappear. After 1973, the "hardcore revolution" happened, and these softcore magazines became old news almost overnight. Just like that, the whole era was gone. The movie mixes together old photos,...
I dunno why but my reactions watching first few minutes of the film was that this is going to be another disaster. One of those poorly acted low budget movies which takes its audiences for granted. A full on campy film. Rather, it threw a pleasant surprise by being a touching love story between a boxer struggling to come out and accept his sexuality and an up-and-coming music producer who has been around the block for a while. Craig is a boxer who makes money by fighting in back alleys. His elder brother worries about him but since his wife doesn't like Craig, he stays away. Struggling with his sexuality, he hangs outside a gay bar where he meets Matt, who happens to be the manager there and also a music producer. Craig gets too talk to him and brings him back to his apartment for sex but changes his mind and asks Matt to leave. But the next days he goes to club again, so that he can spend a day to hang out with Matt and not just have sex. The two get really close. But Matt...